Beryl became the first named hurricane of 2024 Atlantic hurricane season on Saturday as it moves into the southeastern Caribbean, where it is expected to bring strong winds and torrential rain.
Forecasters warned that Beryl is expected to strengthen to a dangerous major hurricane before making landfall in Barbados and the Windward Islands late Sunday or early Monday. Brian McNoldy, a tropical meteorology researcher at the University of Miami, told The Associated Press that warm waters are fueling Beryl, with ocean heat content in the deep Atlantic the highest on record for this time of the year
Beryl is the first hurricane in more than fifty years to appear before July 4 in the Atlantic basin. Alma hit the Florida Keys on June 8, 1966, according to Weather Underground.
NOAA
Where is Hurricane Beryl heading?
As of Saturday night, Beryl was about 660 kilometers southeast of Barbados, moving west at speeds of 22 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. It had maximum sustained winds of 80 mph.
Beryl's center was forecast to pass about 26 miles south of Barbados, Sabu Best, director of the island's weather service, told the AP.
CBS News weather producer David Parkinson said Beryl is the easternmost hurricane to form during the month of June. Only one other hurricane formed this far east in June, and that was in 1933.
NOAA
The center of Beryl is expected to move across the Windward Islands, which include Grenada, Martinique, St. Lucia, Dominica and St. Vincent, late Sunday night or early Monday, according to the hurricane center. causing “life threatening winds and storm”. increase.”
Beryl is expected to become a major hurricane before it reaches the Windward Islands, according to the hurricane center. As of Saturday evening, Beryl was in Category 1, which is a hurricane with maximum sustained winds of up to 95 mph. When a hurricane reaches Category 3, which means maximum sustained winds of 111 mph or higher, it is defined as a major hurricane.
Where will Hurricane Beryl bring rain and flooding?
Beryl is expected to drop 3 to 6 inches of rain on Barbados and the Windward Islands, and cause a storm surge of up to seven feet.
St. Vincent is expected to receive up to 6 inches of rain. Martinique, Grenada and Dominica are expected to receive between 2 and 4 inches of rain. Beryl is expected to bring life-threatening winds and storm surge to the Windward Islands starting Sunday night.
NOAA
Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Grenada and the Grenadines are under a hurricane warning. Martinique and Tobago are under a tropical storm warning, while Dominica is under a tropical storm watch.
Any impact on the United States is still at least eight days away, Parkinson said, and Beryl is expected to remain south of Jamaica.
– David Parkinson and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
